The phone call

It felt like it was just yesterday. Me crying and spilling my heart out to my teacher when I was in twelfth grade. It was at a school event. I didn’t have any friends and my parent’s divorce left me alone in the world.

 Two years have passed since then, but my anger and disappointment of my teacher remained.  

“Why didn’t she come speak to me again about it after that night? Didn’t she care about me?—— What an awful teacher!!! I came to her at a time of need, and she bailed.”

After having a horrible national service year, I decided to go to a Midrasha- connect to my roots and myself. In the Midrasha, I felt that I have to resolve this anger that I have inside of me by calling my twelfth grade teacher and telling her off.

It was twilight. I was standing near the office building. 

I found her number on my cell phone. 

The phone rang. I was so anxious and filled with rage at the same time. I felt like I was going to explode.

-”Hello?”

-“ Mrs. Green?”

-“Yes”

-“ This is Shira Tilleman speaking”

-“Shira?? Oh yes… How are you?”

-“ I’m OK. The reason that I called was that I wanted to tell you how I was hurt by you . Then, I was having a difficult time, you knew about it but you didn’t act!?!?  You never came and Talked to me about it”.

silence. I could hear her breathing.

“Shira I didn’t talk to you then because I wanted to give you space. I thought that if you needed me you would just come and ask for it. It was all a big misunderstanding”. 

I thanked her for speaking to me, greeted her and hung up the phone.

I was looking at the sky and began to cry. It was over. Now I can move on.

Sometimes things aren’t as they seem. Talking is the only way to uncover the real truth.